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Shape-memory systems represent an exciting class of “smart” materials that possess the unique capability to change from a temporary distorted structure back to a memorized permanent shape upon application of an external stimulus. Though metallic shape-memory alloys have gained traction as solid-state alternatives to conventional actuators in the automotive and robotics industry, shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are a cheap and efficient alternative with a diverse number of applications in the biomedical sector. Building on a variety of polymeric SMPs that offer one-way control over material geometry, exciting new research in reversible shape-memory systems has dramatically expanded the complexity over which researchers can dictate dynamic material properties. Such spatiotemporal control over material geometry will prove invaluable in the promising fields of drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. In this chapter, we examine a variety of soft SMP and supramolecular biomaterial systems from the viewpoint of materials nanoarchitectonics. |
